Fall
by Arianwen44
Summary: The loud roar of the crowd boomed in my ears like a thousand excited hornets, the sound of the trapdoors opening above me, and the cold light of the relentless beating sun flooded into the dark chamber. Was this the end? Or just my demise? Or maybe more..


**HEY! I've wanted to do this for a while... don't hurt me if it's off! SORRY... (By the way, for my other readers who know me, I AM still writing Werewolves and Dragons... just on a MAJOR writer's block right now for it... SORY! SORRY! SORRY!)**

**Anyway... OH HOW I WISH I OWNED THIS MOVIE... (DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gladiator or anything about it, I just wanted to write out the ending battle since it's my FAVOURITE part! xD)**

**Okay! Well, this is from Maximus's point of view... so YEAH... I HOPE IT'S GOOD! Please R&R NICELY! (Any mean comments well... RRRR... flames go to making my supper)**

**Enjoy!**

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Gladiator: Fall

The loud roar of the crowd boomed in my ears like a thousand excited hornets, the sound of the trapdoors opening above me, and the cold light of the relentless beating sun flooded into the dark chamber. Soft things fell onto my bowed head, I could barely even glance at them but I knew they were petals. I stood in a ring of violet-cloaked soldiers, their helmets glinting in the filtered sunlight.

Despite the glorious moment that I should have been basking in, I could not even lift my head. For the wound I had received only moments before was beginning to slowly but surely weaken me, The grayness of the room below me began to disappear as the platform under my clad feet jerked and moved upwards and towards the thunderous noise of the crowd above. Next to me stood my greatest enemy, my goal for ultimate vengeance, and he had fatally wounded me before we had even set foot in the arena. He, the Emperor Commodus of Rome, was dressed in only the finest armor of white and thick leather, the complicated designs indistinguishable. His head held high in triumph even though we had not fought yet.

My jaw twitched, and I felt another stabbing pain from the stab wound in my side. I alone was only wearing a simple armor vest and shoulder guards, though they worked well to conceal the bleeding cut. Underneath I wore my Gladiator's tunic, I could feel the hot blood on the skin of my thigh. Was I going to loose? After I had come so far, only to fail at the final moment?

We came up into the giant flat plane that was the Coliseum, petals as red as blood littered the sand floor, almost like real blood. They continued to fall around us as the platform leveled with the ground and the guards stepped out and formed a giant circle around the two of us. _Oh, so Commodus the Great needs a smaller arena?_ I thought hazily to myself as I bent low to the ground and picked up a small handful of the sand, I spread it all over my hands to remove the sweat and give me more grip when I held the blade they would surely give me. The Emperor stepped up to Quintus and took his own sword from him, Commodus' face full of anger now that the cause of all his so called 'grief' was to be eliminated. He walked about with his tongue between his teeth and his arms held high, _It's all for show…_ I laughed uneasily to myself.

Quintus backed away as I rose and came towards him, was that fear I saw in his eyes? No… probably just a fake expression. He tossed the sword meant for me onto the ground. It made an uncomfortably clanging and scraping sound on the sand that hurt my ears but I ignored it. I walked in a wide arc and closed in on the sword, still making sure that Commodus was far enough from me that I could bend down and pick the weapon up off of the dusty ground.

I dragged the sword from the dirt, a look of utter hatred on my face, my eyes never leaving the Emperor for a moment. I took one second to fully understand what to do and I took the first swing, right towards his obnoxious head. He brought up his arm to parry and our fight began. When our swords clashed, the crowd got to their feet and cheered, letting out a great raucous.

Commodus parried three times before he began to strike back at me, his arm moving fast as I blocked his strikes, his sword glinted in the light as he sped after me. I backed away, and he seemed to notice. The pain in my side seared again and I bent down with my left arm leaning on my leg I limped away from the Emperor. Still keeping eye contact. We both paused for a moment, staring at each other, I could heard his breath as he brought up his sword with a small yell and started attacking again. We both moved across to the other side of the circle in a flurry of glinting, clanging sword swings.

I blocked an attack aimed at my shoulder and slid my blade along his for a split second, then slashed at his belly twice before he stopped me and fought back. He pushed my sword down, causing me to expose my side and double over but only for a moment before I came back up and started again to hit my metal weapon against his. Both of us fighting for our lives, my life slowly being sapped away from me with every blow. He pushed me around and to the other side of the guard circle again, throwing everything he had into each swing. He tried to disarm me but I saw it coming and parried it, making a wide swing for his exposed chest, but he leapt nimbly away from me as if teasing my desperate attacks.

Our swords met in a loud bang! As we began to circle one another I aimed at his neck, he aimed at mine, we both blocked and our swords met mere inches from our faces for only a split second. _I've had enough of this dancing game!_ I thought with frustration and kicked him in the calf, causing him to fall backwards. I made to swing and deliver a crushing blow to his front but he rolled and my blade hit only sand and sent up a small cloud into the air.

Commodus got to his feet in a hurry both of us pausing as we surveyed each other's movement. I was bent over, blood pouring from the wound in my side but I didn't care, killing the man who killed my family was the only thing I wanted now. I made another jab at his chest and he parried, another and he blocked it he slipped to my side and I felt his sword slice into my left leg, new blood dripped from it and into my boot. The Emperor smirked to himself, beginning to get cocky.

I scuttled away and tried to gain some distance to recover and gain my bearings and he ran at me. He went for my other arm, or was it my chest? I narrowly dodged and brought up my sword to block two more swipes from the Emperor who spun and hit my sword with a rough clang. He suddenly swept downwards, hoping to hit that wound on my leg again, but I saw his motive and blocked. Then I grabbed his arm with mine, knowing I was stronger than he was. I knew my sword was in the perfect position and I gave a loud battle cry and spun him away, my sword cutting deeply through his leather armor and to the weak flesh below it, plus sending his sword flying out and away from him. I sliced his upper arm, blood began to stain his pretty white outfit and I had to keep back a smile.

The Emperor yelped and held his arm, panting heavily and doubling over. No one had ever_ dared_ to hurt him in training, why did it hurt so much? He was confused. The crowd cheered crazily.

Suddenly I felt my heart skip a beat and a bolt of lightning seared up my leg, I was bent over yet again, trying desperately to stay on my feet. I felt strange, my body beginning to grow cold despite the hot sun on my face. My eyes left Commodus and became distant and frightened, my mouth hanging open as I stared at the ground my own breath echoing in my ears… or was it the crowd shouting my name?

"Quintus! Sword!" commanded Commodus, the man did not move an inch. The Emperor did not like this, and apparently he did not like how he was being treated, "Give me your sword!" he demanded angrily. Still the man did not move.

The Emperor looked about frantically, anger written all over his face. "Sword! Give me a Sword!" he yelled, hoping to gain some sympathy from the other guards. But then the unexpected happened, there was the sound of sliding metal and Quintus walked around shouting orders to the guards.

"Sheathe your swords! Sheath your swords!" he said, the guards sheathed the weapons, not deigning to help the disarmed ruler. Obviously he didn't know the rules of the arena.

Now Commodus and I were on opposite sides of the ring, I could barely see anything but a blur in front of my face. I stood up straight, yet instead of fighting again, I dropped my sword. I wasn't in the arena anymore…

Reaching out my hand I felt something different a cold breeze… was it snow? I could see a long, white brick wall and knew I recognized it, I had seen it before. There was an alcove in the middle, with a small pair of wooden doors with round knockers. I went blindly towards it and felt only the cool wind on my hand.

I hadn't noticed right away that Commodus had closed the distance between us and now whipped out a small dagger from his arm guard. The crowd booed loudly and it brought me back to my sense just as the Emperor lunged at me with the small knife. I dodged several of his attacks and one that was heading for my throat. He was blind with fear and anger now, the perfect time. He stabbed at me but I blocked with my right arm and beat my heavy elbow into his face once and slapped my whole arm across his head. Knocking him stuttering to the ground.

He got back up and attempted another lunge at me, I punched him in the nose and then across the other side of his face then wound up my right arm and hit him squarely in the jaw with my fist, he doubled over, blood plopping from his nose. I let out a yell and punched his shoulder blade, grabbed his head and kneed his jaw sending him flying backwards. He still remained on his feet, the crowd hollered, Commodus coughed and tried yet again to stab me. This time in the face.

I took hold of his right arm with my left and with my right hand on his forearm so he couldn't move his arm. He was helpless…

Pushing on his hand with mine I re-aimed the weapon and slowly, shakily due to Commodus' resist, turned it on him. I screwed up my eyes with concentration, putting all my strength into my arms. The little Emperor squirmed and tried in vain to free his arm, his constant sniveling making me sick. He made to punch my side but it was already too late, I angled my head upwards and aimed the dagger. He hit me vainly again, blood dripping from his mouth as the knife angled towards him. He swung another punch, this one made it's killer blow as I moved to seemingly embrace him. The knife sticking right into his neck, cutting the vital life-giving veins there. Commodus' mouth quivered and his eyes widened, he tried to breath but couldn't, his blue eyes stared at me in shock and fear as I pushed the dagger deeper into his flesh With a short gurgle he began to fall to the ground weakly, he fell from my arms and the dagger withdrew from him with a short crunch.

I suddenly felt exhaustion steal over my body and the dagger dropped to the sand underneath me. The silence of the Coliseum was deafening. So quiet you could hear someone cough. I stood there for a moment, then began to stumble over to the other side of the ring and away from Commodus' body I froze, seeing the door again, closer this time. I put out my bloodstained hand for it, wanting so much to know where it led. I pushed it and it opened without a sound. I was met with the sound of trees in the wind, and I could see the path running up a hill between a long row of cedar trees. Birds sang and I could hear their cheerful song in the distance I blinked and smiled… I knew this place.

"Maximus?" a voice drew me back from the place I was shocked back into the real world blinking in surprise as Quintus' face appeared before me. Baffled, that was his expression. "Maximus!" he said as if to keep my attention.

"Quintus…" I said, my voice barely recognizable to me… I swallowed, "Free my men… Senator Gracus is to be reinstated…" I stood fairly straight but knew I was wobbling, my strength fading fast. "There was a dream that was Rome… It shall be realized, these are the wishes of Marcus Aurelius…" my voice was strangely calm.

Quintus turned and ordered his guards, "Free the prisoners! Go!" two men bowed and picked up their shields. Running off to release the other Gladiators who had been imprisoned.

I couldn't feel my feet, I was walking through what felt like wheat… my hand stretched out to brush each wiry stalk as I walked through them, I could hear the laughter of a child in the distance. Could see a wide sweeping field before me… I knew this place... My feet gave out beneath me and I fell to the ground. Yet I felt nothing, only happiness as I knew… I was home…

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And there you have it! OH MAXIMUS! WE LOVE YOU SOOO! WHY? WHY? WHY?**

**Well I guess it made the movie more interesting... BUT YEAH... Hope you liked it! xD R&R PLEASE! xD **

**Arianwen44 ^_^**


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